Machine for producing multiple printed forms



April 9, 1957 c. PEARCE 2,738,208

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING MULTIPLE PRINTED FORMS Filed Nov. 17, 1953 2 sna s-sheet 1 "FI l5 1 INVENTOR. 1: LEW/S 5. 254265 April" 9, 1957 L. c. PEARCE I 2,733,208

. MACHINE FOR PRODUCING MULTIPLE PRINTED oams Filed Nov. 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

I L-- I I F1 E- E l6 l5 l0 5 24 25 INVENTOR. i i I was 6. PEARCE wt 3 I F'I EA Arrow/m MACHINE FOR PRODUCING MULTIPLE PRINTED FORMS Lewis C. Pearce, Berea, Ohio, assignor to Pearce Dsveiopment Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Gino Application November 17, 1953, Serial No. 392,566

8 Claims. (Cl. 2701) This invention relates to the production of multiple printed forms, and particularly to the production of assembled packet units each including a plurality of printed forms having carbon paper webs interleaved therewith.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a method of and a machine for printing a plurality of webs simultaneously as they are passed from supply rolls through a tier of printing units for imprinting forms in registering relation, and for severing the several webs between adjacent impressions after the printing operation and after edge portions of the several webs have been joined together with sheets of carbon paper interleaved therebetween.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a plurality of printing units arranged in superposed relation to form a tier through which a plurality of printing webs and carbon webs are fed in alternate relation with only the printing webs being engaged between cooperating platens and printing surfaces, and with the webs being joined along edge portions thereof after printing.

Another object is to provide a machine of the character described wherein printing webs and carbon webs are unrolled simultaneously from supply rolls and fed in alternate superposed relation through tiers of perforating, printing, and joining mechanisms for producing packets each comprising a plurality of printed forms and interleaved carbon sheets.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved feeding means for gripping and holding a plurality of printing and carbon webs in superposed and interleaved relation as they are unrolled from supply rolls and advanced through printing units and associated mechanism.

A further object is to provide a machine for producing multiple printed forms wherein a plurality of platens, each having a printing plate associated therewith, are separable to permit the movement of a printing web between each platen and its printing plate, and in which a single pressure unit is operable to apply printing pressure to the several printing units included in the tier.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved method and machine of the character de scribed in which perforating, printing, gluing, shearing, and related steps may beperformed successively in a rapid and eflicient manner, to produce assembled units which emerge in completed packet term.

The invention has other objects and features of advantage, some of which will be explained in the following description of the invention as illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific structures or arrangements of parts of the embodiment shown in the drawings, as both the structure and the arrangement may be variously modified within the definition of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating mechanism operable in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the printing tier of -"atent O the apparatus shown in Fig. l, as viewed upon the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental detail view, illustrating a portion of a printing unit arranged in accordance with the present invention, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental detail of the parts illustrated in Fig. 3, viewed from the righthand side thereof, parts being broken away and shown in section, and illustrating the relative movement of the platen and printing plate.

In terms of broad inclusion, the machine of the present invention comprises the plurality of platens, each having a printing plate mounted in association therewith, the platens and plates being mounted in superposed relation to form a printing tier in which the printing plates are movable horizontally for inking and the platens and plates are movable relative to each other in a vertical direction to permit a plurality of printing webs and inter leaved carbon webs to be fed through the tier. The several platens and plates are operable simultaneously for printing forms in registering relation on the plurality of printing webs, means being provided for moving the several platens into approximate printing relation to their respective printing plates, and a single power unit being provided for thereafter applying printing pressure to the several platens and plates simultaneously for printing impressions upon the several printing webs at the same time. The machine includes a reciprocating feeding gripper through which the several webs are threaded, and by which they are gripped and moved forwardly between successive printing operations. The webs are clamped together as they approach the tier, and are held in set position while the printing operation is performed, and while additional stock is unrolled from supply rolls mounted in tiers adjacent the printing tier.

The invention also contemplates the provision for means for perforating the webs in predetermined pattern before they reach the printing tier, and for joining edge portions of the several webs after printing. After the printing webs are printed and joined with the carbon Webs interleaved therewith, the several webs are advanced past a severing mechanism by which the grouped sheets are severed between successive printed impressions, and are delivered in the form of unitary packets with the several sheets perforated, printed and joined in registering relation.

In terms of greater detail, the numeral 1 designates in general a tier of printing units each of which comprises a printing plate 2, a backing plate 3, and a platen 4. The number of units included in the tier may be varied within wide limits to conform to varying requirements. The tier of six units shown in the drawings is illustrative only, and the number of units in the tier may be increased or decreased as desired.

The term printing plate, as broadly used herein, denotes a printing form made up of type, rules, cuts, engravings and/or other printing devices, and includes a chase portion 5 into which the made up form is locked for printing.

The printing plates 2 are slidably mounted for move ment in a horizontal direction along guide rails 6 carried by the backing plates 3. As illustrated, the plates have grooves 7 formed in the side edges of the chase portions 5 to engage the guide rails 6, which are formed as tongues extending inwardly from flanges 8 depending from the sides of the backing plates 3. The backing plates 3 are mounted for limited sliding movement on frame members 9 positioned at the corners of the tier. The movement of the backing plates is limited by any suitable means as, for example, screws 11 threaded through the bearing portions of the backing plates into sliding engagement with slots 12 in the frame members 9, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The platens 4 are also slidably movable in a vertical diretcion relative to the backing plates 3 and the printing plates 2 carried thereby. The platens are movable between raised and lowered positions by means of platen lifts or wedges 14 having inclined cam surfaces 15 extending between upper and lower platen seats 16 and 17 respectively, as best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The platen lifts are slidably suported for recipro eating movement upon the immediately underlying backing plates of the several printing units. When in lowered position, each platen rests upon the lower seat portions 17 of lifts 14 positioned on opposite sides thereof, to provide a substantial clearance between the platen and a downwardly faced printing area 10 of the plate 2 immediately thereover. When seated upon the upper seat 16 of the platen lifts, each platen is supported in approximate printing position at a level such as to clear the printing surface 10 of the overlying plate 2 an amount substantially equal to the thickness of a sheet of printing paper. The platen lifts for the several platens are reciprocated by any suitable actuating mechanism for raising and lowering the platens simultaneously when the press is in operation. The several printing units are superposed between a movable lower plate 18, slidably mounted upon the frame members 9, and an upper plate 19, secured in fixed position upon the upper ends of the frame members, where it is held by nuts 21 or other suitable securing means. The lower plate 18 is actuated by means of a piston rod 22 connected to a piston operable within a power cylinder 23 bywhich the lower plate may be moved to exert printing pressure upon the several platens during successive printing operations.

Provision is made for rotatably supporting a plurality of rolls of print paper 24 and carbon paper 25 in parallel relation in tiers at one side of the printing tier 1. The rolls 24 and 25 are freely rotatable upon bearings 26 to permit printing webs 24a and carbon webs 25a to be unrolled therefrom. The webs from the several rolls are extended together over guide rollers 27 positioned parallel to the supply rolls and spaced slightly thereabove, as best illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The carbon webs 25a are positioned alternately with the printing webs 24a so that a carbon web is interlaid between adjacent printing webs as they are drawn from the supply rolls over the guide rollers 27. The sheets from the several tiers are superposed with the sheets of adjacent tiers so that all of the sheets extend together over a final guide roller 28 as. the sheets approach the printing tier.

The printing webs 24a which extend from the supply rolls 24 are threaded between the platens 4 and the printing faces 16) of the printing plates 2 supported thereover, a printing sheet being extended between each platen and printing plate. The carbon webs 25a extending from the carbon web supply rolls are threaded under the corresponding platens 4 through the space between the platen and the underlying backing plate over which it is supported by the platen lifts 14. The several webs 24a and 25a are threaded through the tier of printing units while the platens are in their lower positions indicated in full lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The printing webs rest upon the smooth upper surfaces of the ad jacent platens over which the webs are movable, while the platens are lowered, without contacting the printing surface 10 of the overlying printing plate. The carbon dicated in dotted lines in that figure. Each printing plate is moved over a set of inking rollers 30, inked by fountain rollers 29, mounted at the sides of the printing tier. The printing plates extend alternately from opposite sides of the printing tier as indicated in Fig. 2, each printing plate being moved in and out over the adjacent inking rollers between successive impressions. The movement of the several forms is timed with the movement of the platens by the platen lifts 14 so that the forms will be inked while the platens are lowered and will be restored to printing position before the platens are raised to press the printing webs against the printing faces of the plates. Since actuating and timing mechanism is common in the printing art, and may be embodied in a variety of embodiments, no detailed disclosure of the actuating and timing means seems necessary herein.

The several webs 24a, with the unprinted carbon webs 25a interposed therebetween, are gathered between guide rollers 31 spaced a substantial distance from the delivery side of the printing tier 1. The several sheets are pressed against a reciprocating feeder plate 32 by means of a gripper plate 33 operable to engage and advance the several sheets a distance corresponding to the length of the printed forms imprinted by each operation of the printing units.

The feeder plate 32 and gripper plate are reciprocated together, in a generally horizontal direction and in timed relation to the printing operation, by any suitable reciprocating mechanism, not illustrated, operable to move the plates predetermined distances between limits such as indicated in dotted lines of Fig. l of the drawing. The gripper plate 33 holds the sheets firmly against the feeder. plate 32 during the feeding movement, and disengages the sheets during the return movement. A pair of clamping jaws 34 operates in timed relation to the. movement of the feeder plate and the gripper plate to hold the sheets firmly during the recovery movement of the feeder and gripper plates.

From the clamping jaws 34, the sheets pass over a shear plate 36 and under a shear blade 37, operating in timed relation to the printing and feeding mechanism, to shear the several sheets at points substantially midway between successive printed impressions. Successive lengths of the sheet material sheared from the webs by the blade 37 drop onto a delivery chute 38 from which they may be removed by any suitable means. Preferably the delivery chute 38 is actuated by a suitable jogging mechanism 39 for aligning successive groups severed from the advancing webs.

The webs 24a and 25a are unrolled from the rolls 24 and 25 by means of a feed roller 35 mounted upon a reciprocating support 40. The feed roller 35 is arranged parallel to the guide roller 28, and a clamp roller 41 is mounted between the feed roller 35 and the printing tier 1. A clamping jaw 42 is movable to clamp the several sheets together against the clamp roller 41. The jaw 42 holds the webs against movement during the printing operation, and releases the sheets as they are advanced webs move freely over the upper surfaces of the adjacent through the printing units by the feeder and gripper plates 32 and 33. The feed roller 35 is reciprocated in timed relation to the printing operation to cause the webs to be unrolled from the supply rolls while the superposed websare gripped against the clamp roller 41 during the printing operation. The movement of the feed roller 35 is sufficient to unroll enough of the web from each supply roll for a succeeding printing operation, thereby relieving the gripper and feed plates 32 and 33 from the load of unrolling webs from the supply rolls. After unrolling the required length of web from each of the several supply rolls, the feed roller 35 is raised to permit the unrolled portions of the webs to be drawn freely past the clamping roller 41 during the next feed stroke of'the feeder plate 32.

From theclamping roller 41, the several webs are extended over guide rollers 43 substantially aligned. with the printing plates 2 of the printing tier, so that the several webs extend substantially horizontally through the printing tier. Corresponding guide rollers 44 are mounted on the delivery side of the printing tier to maintain the several sheets in parallelism as they pass through the printing tier. After leaving the printing tier, the webs converge from the guide rollers 44 to the gathering rollers 31.

Preferably a tier 46 of perforating and/ or cut out dies is mounted between the guide rollers 43 and the printing tier 1. The die tier 46 comprise a plurality of sets of dies corresponding to the several printing plates and platens, and operable to engage and perforate the several sheets threaded therethrough as they extend from the rollers 43 to the printing tier. The dies of the tier 46 may be of any desired design, and are arranged to perforate the webs, or cut out portions thereof, in conformity with the forms to be printed on the webs as they pass through the printing tier. The several sets of dies are reciprocated in any conventional manner to engage and disengage the webs in time with the feeding and printing operations, so that the perforating step will be completed before the webs reach the printing tier. Since mechanism for actuating dies of this character may be of conventional form, the die tier 46 is indicated only diagrammatically in broken lines, and no detailed embodiment of the actuating mechanism is herein deemed necessary.

As the several webs are moved from the printing tier 1, they are extended through a unit 47 operable for joining the several webs along adjacent edge portions to form a unitary assembly. The unit 47 may be mechanism of conventional structure operable for applying adhesive to cause the sheets to be adhesively joined along edge portions. If desired, crimping or stapling mechanism may be substituted. In either case, the joining mechanism may be constructed and operated in a conventional manner, and a detailed disclosure of an illustrative embodiment is deemed to be unnecessary herein.

The device of the present invention is particularly esigned and useful for printing and delivering unitary packets comprising several printed forms and interleaved carbon sheets, such as are commonly required for commercial use in fields where a substantial number of copies of business forms or records are desired.

The printing forms for the several units of the printing tier are set up and locked into the printing plates 2 so that each plate will print its form in register with the forms printed upon other sheets by the plates of other units. After the several forms to be printed are set up in the several printing units, the printing webs and the intervening carbon webs required to make a desired assembly are threaded through the perforating tier 46, the printing tier 1, and the joining tier 47, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. At each operation of the printing tier, the several platens 4 are raised by the lifts 14 from the lower position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to the raised position indicated in dotted lines. This movement raises the paper substantially to the level of the printing surface l'tl overlying the platen, but does not impart printing pressure to the platen. The printing pressure is applied uniformly and simultaneously to the several platens by means of the power unit 23. Pressure applied to the bottom plate 18 is transmitted through each platen to the overlying printing plate, and through it to the overlying backing plate.

The movement imparted by the pressure unit 23 is relatively slight, for example, in the order of .035 inch. The movement of the several backing plates is cumulative, and is made possible by the sliding engagement of the screws 11 with the grooves 12. The backing plates are normally supported in starting position with the screws 11 seating upon the lower ends of the slots 12.

After each impression is imprinted, the pressure applied by the unit 23 is released, and the platen lifts 14 are withdrawn to permit the platens to return to their lower position and permit the webs to be advanced through the printing tier. As the webs leave the printing tier, edge portions are treated with adhesive as they pass through the joining tier 47. Thereafter the webs are brought together by the rollers 31, and are gripped and pressed together between the feeder plate and gripper plate during the feeding operation. The pressure of the gripper plate against the feeder plate 32 is sufiicient to press the treated edges of the,webs together. If preferred, the feeder and gripper plates may be shaped to crimp or staple the sheets together.

As the joined webs pass the shear plate 36 and blade 37, the blade is operated to shear off the joined sheets between successive printed forms. The severed sections form a unitary packet in which the several printed sheets are grouped in exact registry, with carbon sheets interposed between the printed sheets throughout the packet. Since the several printed webs and carbon webs are fed continuously from supply rolls, the printing can be accurately positioned on each sheet and may be accurately registered with other forms throughout the packet. The several sheets are joined together in the course of the same operation before they are severed from the supply rolls, thereby obviating the time, expense, and inaccuracy of collating separately printed sheets interleaved by carbon sheets in accordance with ordinary collating processes.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for producing multiple printed forms comprising a plurality of platens and printing plates superposed in a tier and supported for relative vertical movement, means for feeding printing Webs and carbon webs through the tier in alternate relation with only the printing Webs extending between the platens and printing faces of the plates, wedge means interposed between said platens, means for moving said wedge means laterally with respect to said tier to initially move each of said platens from a position spaced from its associated printing plate to a position closely adjacent thereto, and means for pressing the lowermost platen upwardly to squeeze said platens and associated plates simultaneously into printing engagement with the printing webs.

2. A machine for producing multiple printed forms comprising a plurality of platens and printing plates superposed in a tier and supported for relative vertical movement, means for feeding printing webs and carbon webs through the tier in alternate relation with only the printing webs extending between the platens and printing faces of the plates; means for perforating the webs in selected pattern as they are fed to the tier, wedge means interposed between said platens, means for moving said wedge means laterally with respect to said tier to initially move each of said platens from a position spaced from its associated printing plate to a position closely adjacent thereto, and means for pressing the lowermost platen upwardly to squeeze said platens and associated plates simultaneously into printing engagement with the printing webs.

3. A machine for producing multiple printed forms comprising a plurality of platens and printing plates superposed in a tier and supported for relative vertical movement, means for feeding printing webs and carbon webs through the tier in alternate relation with only the printing webs extending between the platens and printing faces of the plates, wedge means interposed between said platens, means for moving said Wedge means laterally with respect to said tier to initially move each of said platens from a position spaced from its associated printing plate to a position closely adjacent thereto, means for pressing the lowermost platen upwardly to squeeze said platens and associated plates simultaneously into printing engagement with the printing webs, and means for securing the webs together along edge portions thereof as they are moved from the printing tier.

4. A machine for producing multiple printed forms comprising a plurality of platens and printing plates superposed in a tier and supported for relative vertical movement, means for feeding printing webs and carbon webs through the tier in alternate relation with only the printing webs extending between the platens and printing faces of the plates, wedge means interposed between said platens, means for moving said wedge means laterally with respect to said tier to initially move each of said platens from a position spaced from its associated printing plate to a position closely adjacent thereto, means for pressing the lowermost platen upwardly to squeeze said platens and associated plates simultaneously into printing engagement with the printing webs, and means for severing the webs into packets each having the printed forms in registry and the carbon webs interleaved therebetween.

5. A machine for producing multiple printed forms comprising a plurality of platens and printing plates superposed in a tier and supported for relative vertical movement, means for feeding printing webs and carbon webs through the tier in alternate relation with only the printing webs extending betwen the platens and printing faces of the plates, wedge means interposed between said platens, means for moving said wedge means laterally with respect to said tier to initially move each of said platens from a position spaced from its associated printing plate to a position closely adjacent thereto, means for pressing the lowermost platen upwardly to squeeze said platens and associated plates simultaneously into printing engagement with the printing webs, means for securing the webs together along edge portions thereof as they are moved from the printing tier, and means for severing the webs simultaneously between successive printed areas.

6. A machine for producing multiple printed forms comprising a printing tier of superposed platens and printing plates supported for relative vertical movement and operable to simultaneously print forms in registering relation on separate printing webs fed therebetween, means for supporting a plurality of supply rolls of printing webs and carbon webs to be fed in alternate relation through the printing tier with only the printing webs extending between the platens and printing faces of the plates, wedge means interposed between said platens, means for moving said wedge means laterally with respect to said tier to initially move each of said platens from a position spaced from its associated printing plate to a position closely adjacent thereto, means for pressing the lowermost platen upwardly to squeeze the platens and estates plates together to print impressions on the printing webs, feed means operable in timed relation to the operation of the platens and plates for advancing the webs through the printing tier between successive impressions, means for unrolling the webs from the rolls in advance of the operation of the feed means in lengths sufficient for the feeding movement, and a clamp operable to engage and hold the webs against feeding movement while they are being unrolled.

7. In a machine for producing mutliple printed forms, a printing tier comprising a plurality of superposed platens and a like plurality of printing plates each operatively associated with a platen, said platens and plates being each supported for relative movement in a vertical direction, lifts operable to move the associated platens and plates from normally spaced relation to preliminary printing positions, and a pressure unit mounted in connection with the tier for simultaneously pressing the platens and their associated printing plates into printing engagement with webs fed therebetween.

8. A machine for producing multiple printed forms comprising a plurality of platens and printing plates superposed in a tier and supported for relative vertical movement, means for feeding printing webs and carbon webs through the tier in alternate relation with only the printing webs extending between the platens and printing faces of the plates, wedge means interposed between said platens, means for moving said wedge means laterally with respect to said tier to initially move each of said platens from a position spaced from its associated printing plate to a position closely adjacent thereto, means for pressing the lowermost platen upwardly to squeeze said platens and associated plates simultaneously into printing engagement with the printing webs, means for securing the webs together along edge portions thereof as they are moved fromthe printing tier, means for severing the webs simultaneously between successive printed areas, and a gripper operable to engage the superposed webs and intermittently advance them through the tier between successive printing operations.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 833,553 Schoen Get. 16, 1906 1,390,799 Lippmann Sept. 13, 1921 1,627,182 Kellogg May 3, 1927 1,925,586 Fulk Sept. 5, 1933 2,226,888 Wyrick Dec. 31, 1940 2,482,613 Erickson Sept. 30, 1949 MA a-w 

